New
Arrivals
Author-Suzie
Titles
Making a Friend
by Suzie
Summary: Jim and Blair make a new home and a new friend. #4 of the Wanted series.
Disclaimer: Some of the characters in this story belong to the Pet Fly Productions as part of the television show The Sentinel. I do not claim these characters as my own.
Jim and Blair drove the red pickup through Arizona and Colorado and then into Wyoming. At the base of the Rocky Mountains they went off the main highway into the snowy backcountry by way of logging roads. They turned off onto smaller, rutted tracks that only a Sentinel would have been able to see, and stopped when there was no where left for the big Ford to go.
A green canvas tarp, bought along with other supplies at a surplus store in Craig, Colorado, covered the red truck. The next snowfall would further camouflage the vehicle from their pursuers.
"We'll take the sleeping bags, tent, some food, the rifles and ammunition this trip," Jim told Blair as they unloaded supplies from the truck. "When we get settled, we can come back for the rest."
"Do you really think we'll be safe up here?" Blair asked, looking around at the snow and trees.
"If everything went according to plan, we should be able to stay out here until spring. We'll need to keep our eyes open though, just in case. We'll have to stay away from any main trails and out of sight." Jim helped Blair with one of the backpacks before swinging the second onto his own back. "Ready to get moving?"
"I'm right behind you, man," Blair replied.
**********
Jim and Blair walked for what seemed liked a day and a half in the knee-deep snow, but in reality was only about two hours. The temperature was in the single digits, and their feet sank through the fresh powdery snow to the wet crusty layer below, making their progress slow.
"Let's hold up here, Chief," Jim said. He stopped to survey the small protected area among the tall pines and firs.
Blair thumped into Jim's back, then took a step back and mumbled, "Sorry."
Jim turned around, taking in his friend's slumped stance and heaving chest. He used his enhanced sense of hearing and heard Blair's heart hammering in his chest. "Hey, buddy, are you all right?" he asked, putting a hand on Blair's shoulder and feeling the tremors through the heavy down coat.
Blair squinted up at his Sentinel, knowing he wouldn't be able hide the way he was feeling. "I'm just tired, Jim, and cold. My feet are numb."
Jim pulled his partner into his arms. "It's been too long since you've had any real rest. You're exhausted." He rubbed his hands up and down Blair's back in hopes of pushing a little warmth into the fabric.
Blair relaxed into Jim's warm embrace. "What about you, man? You must be pretty tired yourself."
"Yeah, I am, but I learned how to ignore it a long time ago. We'll make camp here for now. The snow isn't as deep among the trees. As soon as the tent is up, you can crawl into your sleeping bad and get warm... okay?"
Blair reluctantly pushed himself away from Jim and smiled up at the bigger man. "I can do that."
A place was quickly cleared of snow and a blue plastic tarp was spread out on the ground. The two men had the tent up in no time. It wasn't big enough to stand in, but it would serve its purpose. Jim, good on his word, let Blair crawl into the sleeping bags that he'd zipped together. The young man quickly stripped off his heavy coat and boots, and was asleep before he could pull the zipper closed around him. Jim only smiled, tucked the cold young man in and zipped him into the bag's warm confines.
Jim, exhausted as he was, couldn't relax yet. He dug a shallow pit and ringed it with heavy rocks, then gathered wood and made a fire. That finished, he set about building a lean-to to protect the tent from any snow falling from the trees. After gathering downed branches, Jim sat near the fire, cutting away the small needle covered limbs before attaching them together with some of the nylon cord they had.
All of the Sentinel's senses were on full alert as he worked. He listened and cataloged the sounds he heard while scenting and feeling the air. His eyes glanced about the area with catlike grace as his other senses took in the lay of the land.
The hour it took to fashion and set up the lean-to was enough to let Jim determine that there were no people within a fifty-mile radius of their little camp. It was getting dark and it was beginning to snow. His mind and body was finally relaxing, though only slightly, and he could no longer ignore his growing exhaustion. Silently, Jim crawled into the tent and zipped the flaps into place. He pulled off his boots and put them next to Blair's, then took off his down coat before crawling into the sleeping bag with his Guide. As if registering the warmth and safety he craved from his Sentinel, Blair rolled over in his sleep to snuggle against his Blessed Protector. Jim was glad he'd zipped the two sleeping bags together as his sensitive sense of touch felt Blair's still slightly cool skin through his clothing. Jim only sighed and wrapped an arm around Blair, pulling him closer to conserve and share his warmth, and feeling the affection he had for his friend as he fell asleep.
**********
Agent Sands was exasperated. He had men searching Mexico, Arizona, and California. Ellison and Sandburg had seemingly fallen off the face of the earth. Sands would never admit it out loud, but he had woefully underestimated the two men's abilities, sense of self-preservation and loyalty to one another. He had thought that Ellison would have lost his smaller companion by now, striking out on his own to better use his abilities and army training to survive. Agent Sands had actually thought he would have Sandburg in custody by now, interrogating him as to the Sentinel's whereabouts.
Yes, he had greatly underestimated his quarry, but he would not give up. Eventually, the Sentinel and his Guide would be located.
**********
Blair shifted and sighed as he awoke from deep sleep. As he woke, he felt Jim's arm draped heavily over his side and he quickly remembered where he was. Blair felt secure in the knowledge that Jim was next to him. It was pitch black in the tent and would have been unnerving had he been alone.
"You okay?" Jim's voice floated over the top of his head.
"Uh huh," Blair yawned. "What time is it?"
Jim moved, grasping Blair's wrist as he pulled his arm up. Sentinel sight let Jim see the hands on Blair's watch clearly. "It's just after two in the morning."
"Oh... can I go back to sleep?" Blair whispered sleepily.
Jim chuckled as he replaced the arm he held back inside the sleeping bag. "Yeah, go back to sleep." He pulled the edges of the bag up under Blair's chin. "Warm enough?"
Blair wiggled impossibly closer to Jim. "Yep."
"Good night, Chief."
"Night, Jim."
The next time Blair opened his eyes he was alone in the tent, but it wasn't dark anymore. He sat up and stretched, then unzipped his sleeping bad to crawl out. "Jim?" he called, hurrying into his coat.
"Out here by the fire," Jim called back. "Coffee's made."
Blair snorted and grumbled quietly as he pulled his boots on. "I haven't peed in like..." he looked at his watch and grimaced. "... *forever* and he thinks I want coffee."
Jim chuckled at the words his enhanced hearing picked up from inside the tent. Blair stumbled out into the muted daylight and shivered as he headed off into the trees behind their encampment.
A few minutes later, Blair was back and sat down next to Jim on the fallen log next to the fire pit.
"Feel better?" Jim asked, grinning as he handed a mug of coffee to Blair.
Blair took the coffee that he could now feel grateful for. "Yes, thank you very much."
"You slept for sixteen hours."
"God, I don't remember the last time I slept that long all at once," Blair smiled, sipping the hot black liquid. "How about you? Get some sleep?"
"Yeah, almost as much as you," Jim replied. "I woke up about once an hour though."
"You're just not used to the area yet. Give it a couple of days."
Jim nodded, refilling his mug from the old pot sitting on one of the rocks next the fire.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Blair asked, running his gloved fingers through his hair and feeling grateful for its shortness. He didn't even have a comb with him.
"First we have breakfast," Jim said, pulling granola bars and jerky out of a backpack. "I'm going to scout the area. I hear a river about a mile north." He passed two of the bars to Blair. "If I can find a spot to set up that is concealed, we'll move." Jim chewed on a piece of jerky and rummaged through the pack. "Want some oatmeal? It's instant."
"No thanks. When do you want to leave?" Blair asked. He unwrapped one granola bar and bit into it.
Jim shook his head. "You're not coming with me, Chief." He held up his hand to stop Blair's protests before they could start. "If you can remember the way back to the truck, we can use our supplies."
Blair thought about this arrangement.
"I'll probably be able to join you at some point," Jim added. "It shouldn't take too long to look around."
"Okay," Blair finally agreed. "Just be careful."
Jim smiled, "You too. Take a rifle and an extra handful of ammo. I'll meet you as soon as I can."
**********
It took Blair two and a half hours to get back to the truck. The snow that had fallen during the night had obscured their trail from the day before and he had to back track when he'd realized he'd gone too far. The green canvas tarp covering the truck had snow about an inch thick over the top, but the sides were bare. It was nicely camouflaged, since he'd walked by it.
Blair pulled the tarp back, uncovering the back of the truck. He retrieved a second large canvas tarp and spread it out on the ground. First the foam sleeping mats were laid down, then the box of food they'd brought from the loft. Another box of food was set next to it from a shopping trip before heading into the mountains, along with a case of MRE rations for emergencies. A variety of camping equipment, four empty five-gallon water containers, Jim's toolbox, fishing rods and tackle box, ammunition, an axe, a hatchet, and a small collapsible shovel. Woolen blankets and two duffels of clothing were added before the back of the truck was empty. Blair was glad they had found the surplus store after their decision to head into the Rockies. They had found the blankets, tarps, extra water containers, heavy down coats and waterproof boots. The find of the MRE's was a bonus in Jim's eyes.
An hour later, Blair had the tarp bundled over their belongings and tied securely. He replaced the tarp over the back of the truck and made sure it was tied down. Sitting down for a moment, Blair decided to take a short breather, hoping that Jim would show up to help him before he started back.
Blair sat down on the canvas covered bumper and looked around. Now that he wasn't working, the silence was oppressive. He could hear each breath he took echo in his ears and watched the puffs of steam that rose from his nose and mouth. Blair let go a shiver he felt clear to his bones and felt as though he was being watched.
"Jim?" Blair called quietly.
A twig snapped making the young man's breath catch in his throat.
"Jim, is that you, man?"
Silence.
"Oookay, I guess that's not you," Blair whispered, slowly shifting the rifle from his shoulder.
Something moved among the brush less than ten feet away.
Blair stood and shouldered his weapon, his heart pounding in his throat. "All right, come out of there!" he said sternly.
A low growl could be heard.
"Oh, man," Blair whispered. "Please don't be a bear."
A snuffling sound and a whine preceded the large wolf that stepped out of the bushes.
Blair blinked and lowered his rifle.
The brown, tan, and white wolf stared at Blair with soft brown eyes. It didn't seem to be afraid of the human at all and looked at Blair as if it trusted him.
Blair found himself smiling as he relaxed, unafraid of the big animal. "Hello," he said softly.
The wolf whined and rumbled deep in its throat, staring steadily at the man before him.
"You're really beautiful."
The wolf snorted indignantly.
Blair chuckled. "Sorry about that. You're very handsome." His eyes widened with surprise. "Did I understand you?"
The wolf only turned and walked back into the brush, disappearing from sight.
Blair stared on for another minute, wondering what had just happened. Then shook himself back to the present and decided he'd better start back to camp.
**********
Blair had been pulling his bundle through the snow for about forty-five minutes when he heard Jim's voice calling him. He gratefully stopped, dropping the rope he'd been using to pull the filled canvas.
"Sorry I took so long, Chief," Jim said as he joined his partner. "Took me a little longer than I'd thought."
"No problem, man," Blair smiled. "What did you find?"
"A good place to set up a more permanent camp," Jim said as he untied the tarp. "There's a cave hidden back in the trees near the river."
"Cool!" Blair watched Jim open up the bundle of supplies. "What are you doing?"
"There's two of us here now. No reason for one to do it all." Jim made two small bundles using blankets and handed them to Blair. He then retied the tarp and took over the chore of pulling. "We'll gather our stuff and head for the new place."
Blair nodded and fell into step beside his Sentinel.
"Looks like you made a friend, Chief," Jim mentioned after a minute. He nodded in the direction of the wolf that had been staying in the trees and bushes to their left.
"Yeah, he's been with me since the truck," Blair replied with a chuckle. "Just don't tell him he's beautiful."
Jim raised his eyebrows questioningly, but decided he really didn't want to know. Instead he tracked the wolf as it followed them through the trees. The animal wasn't trying to hide from them, but wasn't getting too close either. He tagged slightly behind and to Blair's right, not letting the bigger man get between them.
Jim felt that the wolf knew something... sensed something, perhaps, about the Sentinel and his Guide.
**********
By the time Jim and Blair had everything moved to their new *home*, it was mid-afternoon.
"Man, this is great, Jim!" Blair said, checking out the cave.
The entrance wasn't large, even Blair had to bend a little to get through, but once inside it opened up into a spacious room. From the entrance, it curved to the right and went back far enough to block the cold air from the outside.
Jim reached up and brushed his fingertips on the ceiling. "It's deep, but not too high, so we should be able to warm it up in here and be cozy."
"And we won't have to go too far for water with the river just down the path," Blair said, as he stepped outside again.
The river couldn't be seen from their location, but even Blair could hear the water running a thousand or so yards away.
"Well, we better get started setting up," Jim said.
"Why don't you go gather some wood and start a fire. We'll be able to start some food as soon as I get the stuff unpacked."
"Sounds like a plan, Chief." Jim retrieved the axe from the canvas bundle and headed off into the forest. He caught sight of the wolf peeking out from behind a nearby tree. "Keep an eye on him, boy," Jim whispered. Somehow he knew he could trust the wolf. "After all... you are his Spirit Guide."
The wolf growled and moved in closer to the new camp. He sat down some ten feet from the entrance to the cave and watched Blair move things inside.
Blair stopped and looked at the animal after several trips. "Well, what do you think? Jim found us a good place, didn't he," he said with a smile.
The wolf cocked his head and stared at him with sparkling brown eyes.
"You're always welcome to..." Blair shrugged. "You know... come in out of the cold. There's plenty of room." Something tingled in the back of Blair's mind and he grinned at the wolf. He'd said *thank you* and Blair had understood it. "You know something? You really are beautiful!"
The wolf groaned as he sank down to lay on the snow-covered ground, letting out a decidedly disgruntled huff as he laid his head on his paws.
Blair laughed and disappeared inside the cave again.
The wolf waited several minutes, but Blair didn't come out. Curious, the animal stood and stretched, then moved cautiously to the entrance to the cave.
Blair was setting up the sleeping area near the back of the cave as the wolf poked his head around the corner.
Sensing the animal's presence, Blair turned and smiled. "Come on in and check things out. Just don't start doing the *marking your territory* thing. That would not make Jim happy."
**********
Jim returned a short time later with a bundle of wood that would get them through the night. "We can do some serious wood gathering tomorrow. It'll be dark soon and the temperature is already dropping. I want to get this place warmed up some before we go to bed." He turned to check out how far Blair had gotten in setting things up and spotted the wolf sprawled across their bedding. "Well, I'm glad his majesty approves," he chuckled.
Blair looked up from what he was doing with the food and grinned. "I sort of told him to make himself at home." He pointed to the food he'd carefully piled on a square of canvas. "We shouldn't keep that stuff inside. I don't want to chance being visited by one of the local bears."
Jim nodded his agreement. "I'm take it out and tie the bundle in a tree."
"I'll start the fire and put together something to eat."
**********
Their meal eaten and the area cleaned up for the night, Jim stood at the cave's entrance staring out into the darkness.
"It's warming up nice in here, Jim," Blair said quietly from where he sat by the fire.
"Yeah," Jim replied without moving. "We're going to be fine here." After another minute, he did turn and saw that the wolf was lying next to Blair and the young man was absently stroking the furred head as he stared into the fire. "He's not a pet, Chief. He's a wild animal."
"He's more than a wild animal, Jim. There's something special about him... I can feel it."
Jim nodded, "I feel it too."
"It's more than coincidence that he's here, you know," Blair said with a yawn. "It's like he's suppose to be here."
The wolf looked from Jim to Blair, as if following the conversation.
Jim looked down at the two and smiled as a sense of peace washing over him. "I think he'd here to help us. To watch us." To help me keep you safe.
After several minutes of silence, Jim noticed that Blair was beginning to list to one side, eyes closed. Smiling at the sight before him, he stepped over and knelt beside his partner and placed a hand on one shoulder. "Hey, buddy, I think it's time for bed."
Blair opened his eyes and sat up with a jerk. "Oh, man, I didn't realize..."
The wolf stood, whined softly and gave Blair's face a lick, then disappeared outside.
Blair took care of the fire as Jim did a final sensory sweep of the area. Satisfied, they both sighed with the exhaustion they felt as they slipped into their sleeping bags and extinguished the lantern.
Darkness enveloped them like a soft blanket. Outside the cave the wolf rose his head and let out a slow howl. In the distance, other wolves howled in response.
"Feels like there's another Blessed Protector in the family," Blair mumbled as he drifted off into easy sleep.
Jim listened to the howling until it quieted again a few minutes later. "That's exactly what it is," he whispered into the darkness as he too fell into sleep.
**********
~end~